Gates of Fire

by Elwyn M. Chamberlain

Book Overview

"Three young Americans smuggle a million hits of LSD into India for Reasons both idealistic and venal . . . sweeping mystical enlightenment, compelling characters... Brilliant writing in this rather... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0394501624
• ISBN13: 9780394501628
• Release Date: January 1978
• Publisher: Random House Trade
• Length: 350 Pages
• Weight: 1.50 lbs.

Customer Reviews

Unforgetable

I first read "Gates of Fire" around 25 years ago. Over the intervening years I have had occasional "flashbacks" of images from the novel. What an extraordinarily powerful novel.

Time-bound "60's" novel, or timeless philosophy?

Not easily dismissed, this distillation of the lsd experience with its illusions and insights can at once be tossed in a pile with Tom Robbins, Paul Mann, Cleo Odzer, Baba Ram Dass or, as its author seems to suggest, burned with them in one hell of a dazzling pyre...

Don't listen to much to me, I am no expert in this matter...

I read this book without knowing what it was going to do to me. It is a good novel, with a good trama (if you like the sixties), but most of all, it has a lot of deep philosophy that can make you see life from a different perspective (for this you have to read a lot between lines, if not will be distracted). It is like smelling India, without having done it before. And remember, "The life is a bridge, Pass over it but do not build on it. He who hopes for an hour may hope for eternity. The world is but an hour. Spend it in devotion. The rest is unseen"...